Madeleine Stowe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Madeleine Stowe
Stowe in 2014
Born	(1958-08-18) August 18, 1958 (age 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Southern California
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1978–present
Spouse(s)	Brian Benben ​ (m. 1982)​
Children	1

Madeleine Stowe (born August 18, 1958) is an American actress. She is well-known for her roles in many movies and TV shows. Before becoming a big movie star, she appeared in several television series.

Some of her most famous films include Stakeout (1987), The Last of the Mohicans (1992), and 12 Monkeys (1995). She won an award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 1993 film Short Cuts. From 2011 to 2015, Madeleine Stowe played the main character, Victoria Grayson, in the TV drama series Revenge. Her performance in Revenge earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.

Early Life and Interests

Madeleine Stowe was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in a part of the city called Eagle Rock. She was the first of three children in her family. Her father, Robert, was an engineer, and her mother, Mireya, came from Costa Rica.

When she was young, Madeleine wanted to become a concert pianist. She took piano lessons from age ten to eighteen. Playing the piano was a way for her to feel comfortable and avoid having to socialize too much. Her piano teacher, Sergei Tarnowsky, believed in her talent. After he passed away, Madeleine decided to stop playing professionally. She felt it was time to try new things and connect more with others.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in Acting

Madeleine wasn't very interested in her college classes. Instead, she started performing in plays at a theater in Beverly Hills. A movie agent saw her act and helped her get roles in TV shows and films.

In 1978, she made her first TV appearance in a police drama called Baretta. After that, she had guest roles in popular shows like The Amazing Spider-Man, Barnaby Jones, and Little House on the Prairie. She also played a main role as Mary in the TV movie The Nativity (1978). She appeared in TV miniseries such as Beulah Land (1980) and The Gangster Chronicles (1981). It was on the set of The Gangster Chronicles that she met Brian Benben, who would later become her husband.

Becoming a Movie Star

Madeleine Stowe in 2002

Madeleine Stowe got her first big movie role in 1987 in the film Stakeout. This movie was very popular and was number one at the box office when it came out. She then starred in other films like Revenge (1990) and The Two Jakes (1990) with Jack Nicholson.

In 1992, Madeleine starred with Kurt Russell in the crime drama Unlawful Entry. That same year, she played Cora Munro in The Last of the Mohicans alongside Daniel Day-Lewis. Her performance in this movie was highly praised, and the film earned a lot of money worldwide. This role helped her become a well-known movie star.

The next year, she appeared in the award-winning movie Short Cuts. In this film, she played the wife of a police officer. For her role, she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also had a small role in Stakeout's sequel, Another Stakeout.

In 1994, Madeleine played a blind musician in the thriller Blink. She also appeared in the film China Moon and the Western movie Bad Girls. The following year, she played a kind psychiatrist in the successful science-fiction movie 12 Monkeys. She was nominated for an award for this performance.

Madeleine Stowe in 2008

After 1996, Madeleine Stowe took a break from acting to focus on her family. She lived on a ranch in Texas with her daughter and husband. She returned to acting in 1998 with films like The Proposition and Playing by Heart. In 1999, she starred with John Travolta in The General's Daughter. She also appeared in the war film We Were Soldiers (2002) with Mel Gibson.

Recent Acting Roles

Madeleine Stowe appeared in fewer movies and TV shows in the 2000s because she wanted to focus on raising her daughter. She said that she never officially retired but felt more focused on her family.

She did appear in some TV productions, such as Saving Milly, a movie about a woman diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. In 2007, she had a recurring role in the detective drama Raines on NBC. In 2009, she starred in the Lifetime movie The Christmas Hope.

Stowe at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2011, Madeleine Stowe made a big return to television. She began playing Victoria Grayson, a powerful and glamorous character, in the ABC drama series Revenge. The show became very popular, and Madeleine's acting received a lot of praise. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for this role. In April 2012, People magazine included her on their annual list of the "Most Beautiful Women." The series Revenge finished in 2015 after four seasons.

In 2016, Madeleine Stowe was a guest host for films on Turner Classic Movies. In 2019, she returned to acting in the Netflix musical drama series Soundtrack, playing an actress named Margot Weston.

Personal Life

Madeleine Stowe married actor Brian Benben in 1982. They met while working on the TV miniseries The Gangster Chronicles. They have a daughter together. The family has lived in different places, including a ranch in Texas. As of 2025, Madeleine Stowe lives in Memphis, Tennessee.

In 2008, Madeleine Stowe traveled to Haiti and helped start a group called Artists for Peace and Justice. She is now on the board of directors for this foundation, which helps people in Haiti.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Madeleine Stowe para niños